Method and wedges for conducting heat from slots of dynamoelectric machine



June 27, 1961 w. R. STIGLER ETAL METHOD AND GES FOR CONDUCTING HEAT FROM SLOTS DY OEL MACHINE Original ed 1957 v I/IIIIII I I I INVENTORS lV/ZZ/MD A2 377615? Y M44172? D/PAB/A 77/50? ATTOPl/EV 4 Claims. (Cl. 310214) This invention relates to dynamoelectric machines, and, particularly, to a method and wedges for closing stator or rotor lamination slots into which conductors or windings have been placed and for conducting heat from the windings to outside the slots closed by the wedges.

This is a divisional application of co-pending application Serial No. 696,821, filed November 15, 1957, now Patent 2,945,139, issued July 12, 1960.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved method of conducting heat away from conductors located in slot sections of a stationary or rotating member of an electric motor or generator by means of electrically insulated slot wedges including a central metal body of high thermal conductivity used both to hold the conductors in slots and to effect thermal transfer, conduction and dissipation to outside the slots.

Another object of this invention is to provide electrical insulating slot wedges for holding motor or generator windings in slots of stators or rotors and having a central member of a metal of high thermal conductivity for thermal transfer, conduction and dissipation to outside the slots away from the windings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a slotclosing wedge having an insulating body portion with a central gap portion extending longitudinally to receive a substantially H-shaped member, of metal such as aluminum or brass with a high thermal conductivity to transfer heat from inside the slot through metal in the gap portion to outside the slots.

A further object of this invention is to provide slotclosing wedges having a centrol longitudinal member of extruded metal such as aluminum or an alloy of high thermal conductivity and having heat radiating fins as well as lateral insulating edges of extruded or machined polyester-glass bonded to the metal so as electrically to insulate the wedges from the slots and permit transfer, conduction and dissipation of heat away from conductors adjacent one side of the wedges to the opposite side thereof outside the slots.

Another object of this invention is to provide armature slot wedges having a median member of metal such as aluminum which is light in weight and high in thermal conductivity and which is extruded to include longitudinal heat-radiating fins as well as lateral flange portions or beading adapted to be joined to lateral and longitudinally extending insulation edge pieces for holding the wedges and windings below the wedges in slots while the extruded light metal provides strength yet lightweight relative to centrifugal force as well as high heat conductivity for dissipating heat from the windings.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a transverse cross section of a wedge for retaining windings or conductors in slots of a laminated core member and embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the wedge and heat con- United States Patent "ice ducting member therefor of a type illustrated for insertion in a slot as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the wedge and heat conducting member of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view of a modified wedge in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view of a wedge similar to the modification of FIGURE 4 in accordance with the present invention.

Wedges or slot closers driven longitudinally into slots of stators or rotors generally are provided for the purpose of holding coils, windings or conductors firmly in place in the slot. Wedges usually are made in short lengths of a non-conductive material having sufiicient strength to hold conductors or windings in place and to resist centrifugal force exerted by coils when an armature is rotating. However, electric current passing through the conductors is subjected to electrical resistance which converts some of the electric energy into heat. This heat must be removed and use of open cooling ducts through the laminations forming the slots or through the wedges proves expensive and also weakens and complicates retention of windings in the slots. The present invention provides a method and wedges for holding conductors and simultaneously effectively dissipating heat from the conductors.

FIGURE 1 shows a portion of an armature core formed of a plurality of laminations 11 of steel or thin magnetic material. A slot 12 extends inwardly from a peripheral surface 13 of the laminations and each slot includes a bottom portion 12a into which a coil, winding, or conductors of any number are embedded in any desired pattern. Conductors 14 and 14a are illustrated in FIGURE 1 as they are placed on top of the other in bottom por tion 12a of slot 12. Each of these conductors is insulated from lateral and bottom surfaces of slot 12 and also insulated from each other by a suitable insulating material such as a rigid insulating paper indicated by numeral 16. An uppermost surface of conductor 14a is covered by one or more layers of such insulating paper 16a. This paper layer 16a is adjacent to or slightly below a lower corner 17 of each of a pair of V-shaped grooves 18 extending outwardly from opposite lateral surfaces of each slot. It is to be understood that a plurality of slots like slot 12 can be formed by the laminations of magnetic metal or stamped out sheet steel.

The conductors or windings embedded in each slot are connected to a source of electrical energy resulting in passage of electrical current through the conductors for generating a desired flux pattern throughout and about the metal laminations but also resulting in conversion of some electrical energy into heat which must be removed from within each slot. However, the conductors are held or retained in each slot by a retaining means or slot wedge generally indicated by numeral 20. Previously, cooling ducts have been formed between laminations 11 or through slot wedges having ventilating ducts for cooling and heat removal. Formation of such cooling ducts is complicated and often expensive to obtain and also often results in a weakening of an armature core and in a decrease in effective holding of conductors inside slots against centrifugal force of the conductors and slot wedges during rotation of an armature core, for example.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a wedge 20 forced into a top space 122 of slot 12. As seen in views of FIGURES l, 2 and 3, the wedge 20 includes a body portion 22 of insulating material. A central longitudinally extending gap or cut-out portion 23 extends a predetermined distance from a tapered bottom surface end 34 toward a blunt opposite end 25 of the body portion. The gap separates parallel and longitudinal leg portions or segments 26 integral at one end with and forming part of the body portion. A

central member or solid body 28 of metal which is light in weight and has a high thermal conductivity is provided to fill the gap for holding the conductors in the slot and for transfer-ring, conducting and dissipating heat from inside the slot. Preferably aluminum or brass should be used as metal for this central member.

In the embodiment of FIGURES l, 2 and 3, a central member is provided having an H-shaped transverse cross section viewed in FIGURE 1 and including a mid-portion 29 which is formed of face to face bases. of a pair of U- shaped longitudinal channels or sections 29a. Legs or sides of each channel form a bottom surface 2% and a top surface 291 of the central member relative to the body portion of the wedge and the slot. The bottom surface 2% is adjacent to a top surface of insulating paper covering top conductor 14a. Heat from the conductors inside the slot is transferred and conducted from bottom leg surface 291: of the U-shaped sections through the midportion 29 of the H structure to the top leg surface 29t where heat dissipation to surrounding atmosphere occurs. It is to be understood that the H-shaped central body of the wedge in accordance with the present invention can be formed of separate channel sections as shown or can be extruded as a unitary H-shaped body. In any event, the mid-portion 29 is clamped or secured between the longitudinal legs 26 as the insulating body 22 is driven by force applied against blunt end into a space at the top of the slot between V-shaped grooves 18. The leg portions have V-shaped edges or side rails 18a which are formed complementary to the V-shaped lateral slot grooves .18 at opposite sides of the space near the top of the slots into which the Wedges are forced. The tapered surface 24 shown in FIGURE 3 serves to facilitate forcing of the wedge into the grooved slot. The tapered surface is formed after the central member for heat conduction is assembled with the insulating body 22.

A variation of the present invention is illustrated in each of the views of FIGURES 4 and 5. In FIGURE 4,

the .laminations 111 form a peripheral surface 113 and a slot.112 whilein FIGURE 5 comparable structure is identified by numerals 211, 213 and 212, respectively. Wedges 'of a metal such as extruded aluminum or brass each with a high thermal conductivity and light in Weight (especially aluminum) are indicated generally by numerals 120 and 220 in FIGURES 4 and 5, respectively. Mid-portions 129 and 229, respectively, are shown in FIGURES 4 and '5 comparable to mid-portion 29 as to function described above. Top surfaces 129i and 229t as well as bottom surfaces 12% and 22912 are represented in FIGURES 4 and 5 comparable to surfaces 292 and 29b of the embodiment of FIGURES l-3. Each of the slot wedges 120 and 220 is provided with a plurality of upwardly protruding and longitudinally extending heat radiating fins 130a, 130b,

130c and 230a, 230b, 2300, respectively, for increase in top surface areas 129! and 229i, respectively.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 4, the central member having mid-portion 129 has laterally and longitudinally extending beads or flanges 132 complementary to inner socket-like surface ends or dovetail-joint-type portions 133 of side rails, segments, or insulating edge means 134. The insulating edge means 134 having a V-shaped outer surface Which is complementary to V-shaped grooves 113 extending laterally-outwardly from a top portion of slot 112. Surface 12% is made substantially smooth so as to facilitate forcing of the wedges over insulating paper and conductors in the slot. The slot wedge 120 is preferably made of extruded aluminum and includes the integral heat radiating fins. The flanges 132 are located intermediate the top and bottom surfaces. The heat radiating fins serve also to increase air turbulence surrounding the slot wedges when the wedges are used to close slots of 'a rotor or armature. The flanges in cooperating with the side segments 134 support the central member or solid light-metal body across the top of the slot between 4 the V-shaped grooves 118 holding the insulating paper and conductors inside the slot against centrifugal force as is encountered with a rotor or armature.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 5, the central member having mid-portion 229 for transfer, conduction and dissipation of heat has laterally and longitudinally extending beads or flanges 23212 and 232! extending adjacent bottom and top surfaces, respectively, to form opposite longitudinally extending cavities 232 that are interlocked with a socket-like end or dovetail-joint-type portion 233. Flanges 2321: are preferably extruded out of aluminum integral with the heat radiating fins 230a and 230a. Except for the interlocking end and flange portions, the side rails or segments 134 of FIGURE 4 are substantially like segments 234 of FIGURE 5 and both have a V- shaped outer surface which is complementary to V-shaped lateral grooves of each slot. Segments 134 and 234 can be comparable to legs 26 in being joined at one end by a body portion like 22 of the embodiment of FIGURES l-3. However, the segments 134 and 234 are preferably preformed channel portions or are made of extruded insulating material such as plastic or polyester-glass that can be machined if necessary. Extruded or machined polyester-glass forming the edge means can be bonded or otherwise secured only by dovetail fitting relative to the one or more lateral flanges of the aluminum or brass solid body or central member.

Aluminum is light in weight and has a high thermal conductivity and is therefore preferred as the metal for the central member. Since the central member is insulated from the sides of each slot and is not in contact with the steel lamination core, undesirable stray flux or current which such contact would engender is avoided.

The method of conducting heat away from conductors located in slots includes the steps of providing a slot wedge having a longitudinal solid body member of extruded light weight metal having a high thermal conduc tivity and having longitudinal insulating side rails or segments attached thereto. By forcing the insulating material segments and combined light metal central members over the top of conductors embedded in each slot, the solid body member of metal having high thermal conductivity is positioned adjacent to at least one of the conductors and transferring, conducting, and transmitting of heat from the conductors through the insulating paper in each slot to the body member is made possible. At the same time the insulating segments and light metal body member are holding the conductors in place in the slots. Fitting and retaining of an H-shaped metal member between leg portions of an insulating body can also be included as described with the embodiment of FIG- URES 1-3. Dissipating the heat is one function of the top surface and integrally extruded heat radiating fins.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A method for dissipating heat from dynamoelectric machine slots in which electric energy carrying conductors are embedded and give off heat, the steps, comprising, providing a longitudinal insulating body for use in holding the conductors firmly in each slot, removing a central portion of the body resulting in a longitudinal gap that separates leg portions connected at one end to each other by the body, forming a central member of metal having high thermal conductivity adapted to be used to fill at least a portion of the longitudinal gap as well as to cooperate with the insulating body for holding the conductors firmly in each slot, fitting and retaining the metal member in the gap between the leg portions, forcing the insulating body and leg portions into a top space of the slot and thereby wedging the metal member in the gap in a location adjacent to the conductors giving off heat to the metal member whereby heat from the conductors-is transferred to a bottom surface of the metal member of high thermal conductivity through a portion of the member between the leg portions to a top surface of the metal member outside the slot.

2. A slot closing wedge for use in retaining conductors embedded in lamination slots of a dynamoelectric machine, comprising, an insulating body portion having a central gap extending longitudinally thereof and adapted to form a pair of leg segments joined at one end by said body portion, a substantially H-shaped member of metal having high thermal conductivity and having opposite sides with surface area transverse to a mid-portion of said H-shaped member, said mid-portion being secured between said insulating leg segments as the wedge is forced into a top space of a slot, and a tapered undersurface end formed by said leg segments opposite to a blunt driving end of said insulating body portion, said H-shaped member being provided to conduct and dissipate heat from the slot conductors.

3. The wedge of claim 2 wherein said substantially H-shaped member includes a pair of U-shaped sections the bottoms of which are joined together as said midportion of said H-shaped member.

4. A slot closing wedge for use both in retaining conductors embedded in lamination slots of a dynamoelectric machine and for dissipating heat from these conductors, comprising, a longitudinal insulating body for use in holding the conductors firmly in each slot and having a central portion of the body removed to provide a longitudinal gap which separates leg portions connected at one end to each other by the body, a central member of metal having high thermal conductivity adapted to be used to fill at least a portion of the longitudinal gap as well as to cooperate with the insulating body for holding the conductors firmly in each slot, said metal member being fitted and retained in the gap between said leg portions which wedge said metal member in the gap in a location adjacent to the conductors giving olf heat thereto whereby heat from the conductors is dissipated for transfer by way of a bottom surface of said metal member of high thermal conductivity through a portion of said member between said leg portions to a top surface of the metal member outside the slot, said insulating body and leg portions being forced into a top space of the slot thereby to wedge said metal member in the gap in a location adjacent to the conductors giving off heat.

No references cited. 

